Lapel creaser



March 13, 1962 J. E. MALLETT LAPEL GREASER Filed March 12, 1959 INVENTOR.

JB/m E. Mal/e777 ATTOR NEY.

United States Patent Q 3,024,548 LAPEL CREASER John E. Mallett, 1609 SW. 8th St., Miami, Fla. Filed Mar. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 798,958 1 Claim. (Cl. 38--71) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pressing, creasing or shaping garments to a finished condition, particularly those having lapels such as sport shirts, uniforms and similar garments.

In the present invention a clamp-type creaser which may be maintained in a clamped or operating position under spring tension is employed and merely inserted in position in the garment to perform a substitute creasing or ironing operation. This device may be used on garments which are damp from washing so that they will dry in a smooth condition or it may be used on dry garments to eifect a creasing or pressing operation.

Although this invention has much wider application, it is very useful in creasing garments of the Drip-Dry variety or nylon material, particularly in creasing the lapels of sport shirts, uniforms and other similar garments.

It is the particular object of this invention to provide a lapel creaser for Drip-Dry sport shirt collars and lapels and those of uniforms so that the lapel of the garment will dry out in a smooth and flattened condition.

A further object is to press and flatten the lapels of dry garments such as uniforms in an easy and facile manner.

Other objects and benefits to be derived from this invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a shirt hung on a conventional hanger shown with the pressing and creasing device of this invention applied in operating position.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pressing and creasing device of this invention.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the pressing and creasing de vice illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end view of this device shown in open position and including a modification thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a shirt 1, which may be of the Drip-Dry variety, hung on a conventional hanger 2. The creasing and pressing device of this invention is indicated generally by the numeral 3 and is shown applied to the shirt in operative position in FIG. 1. It is somewhat triangular in form to conform to the general contour of the lapel of the gar ment to be creased and may be made of wood, plastic or any other suitable material. This pressing device includes two flat triangular-shaped members 6 and 7 which oppose each other as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The flat members 6 and 7 are urged toward each other to effect a clamping action by tension spring means which includes a pair of outwardly extending arms 8 and 9 one of each of which is fixed to each of the flat members 6 and 7 by gluing or other suitable means. A tension spring 10 of the conventional coil type is provided having a pair of inwardly extending projections 11 which fit in slots or grooves 12 formed in the arms 8 and 9, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The compressing action of the tension spring it) joins the assembly together and normally maintains the flat members 6 and 7 in clamped relation to each other at all times under the pressure exerted by the spring 10. The clamp 3 may be opened and the flat members 6 and 7 separated to receive the lapels of the shirt 1 by squeezing the outer ends of the outwardly extending arms 8 and 9 together between ones fingers. This action is similar to that of the conventional spring pressed wooden or plastic clothes pin.

3,024,548 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 A tapered wedge member 14 is fixed to the inner surface of one of the flat members 6 or 7 by glue or other means, adjacent the widest end of the particular fiat member to which it is fixed, shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 2. This wedge member 14 is thinner in cross section at its inner end, that is it is tapered from the outer edge of the fiat member to which it is fixed toward the inner portion thereof as shown in FIG. 3. This arrangement effects a more even distribution of the spring pressed clamping action of the creasing and pressing device 3 of this invention aiding in forming a smooth finished surface on the lapel of the garment. This action of causing an even distribution is quite apparent since the clamping device, when spread apart in the position shown in FiGURE 4, has an open scissors like effect. It is obvious that the distance between the extreme outer edges of the portions 6 and 7 are further apart than the inner edges, which are closer to the radius on which the jaws 6 and 7 of the clamp are opened. By having the taper wedge member 14 thinner at the inner edge and progressively thicker towards the extreme outer edge, it reduces the difference in width of the open clamp at its extreme outer edges of the portions 6 and 7 in relation to the extreme inner portions thereof. Thus, when the clamp is in the closed position of FIGURE 3, the thicker portion of the wedge at the outer edge serves to cause more complete contact throughout the widest portion of the Wedge, which is adjacent the widest portion of the lapel of the garment as shown in FIGURE 1.

A cut out portion 15 is provided in one of the flat members 67 to accommodate the collar button 16 of shirt 1 or other garment thus insuring an even clamping action of the device 3 and further aiding in the forming of a smooth unwrinkled surface on the lapel of the garment.

A modified form of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a resilient lining 17, which may be of urethane plastic, sponge or foam rubber or othe desirable material is fixed to the entire inner surface of each of the flat triangular-shaped members 6 and 7 of the creasing and pressing device of this invention. This foam rubber lining 17 is identical in shape and size to the flat mem bers 6 and 7 and is bonded to the members by a suitable adhesive. The purpose of this lining 17 is to absorb projecting buttons such as the button 15 of the shirt 1 or other collar fastening devices thus assuring the forming of a smooth unwrinkled surface on the lapel of the garment to be creased or pressed and assuring an even tight clamping action of the device 3.

The operation of this device is simple. The lapel of the garment is clamped in the device 3 by squeezing the projecting arms 8 and 9 thereof together thus separating the flat members 6 and 7 to permit insertion of the lapel of the garment to be creased or pressed. Upon release of: the arms 8 and 9 the flat members 8 and 9 securely clamp the lapel of the garment in the position desired. Two of the clamping devices are utilized in the pressing operation, one for each lapel, and the garment hung on a suitable hanger 2 as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. It will be noted since the device 3 is shaped to conform to the lapel the wider portion of each fiat member S and 6 will be positioned upwardly as illustrated in FIG. 1 and the narrower portion will extend downwardly when in operating position, with arms 8 and 9 inside the neckline.

This invention thus provides a simple, easy to use device of low cost for forming creases in and pressing the surface of the lapels of any garment. It is equally useful in Drip-Dry laundering operations or pressing of the lapels of dry garments.

Having thus described this invention, I claim:

A reversible garment lapel creasing and pressing spring actuated clamp attached to fit either the left hand or right hand lapel of the collar of a garment with equal facility, comprising a pair of fiat surfaced, triangular shaped pressing members shaped to closely conform to the outlines of a conventional garment lapel when inserted in either the right or left neck line sides of the lapel of the garment, the widest portion of the pressing member being normally disposed uppermost and adjacent the widest portion of the garment lapel, a resilient material fixed to the inner fiat surfaces of each triangular shaped pressing member covering the entire inner surface thereof, a tapered Wedge member'alfixed to the uppermost widest portion of said pressing member, said tapered wedge member being thicker at the extreme outer edge of the triangular shaped pressing member, and thinner adjacent the extreme inner edge of said triangular shaped pressing member, the thickness of said tapered wedge being gradually reduced from the outer edge of the triangular shaped pressing member and receding in thickness uniformly and gradually from the outer edge to a point adjacent the inner edge of said pressing member, said flat triangular shaped members substantially non-flexible and being normally urged together by compression spring means, means to separate saidfiat members to permit positioning of the garment lapel therebetween, said separating means being disposed within the neck line of the garment when located in operative position on either the right or left lapel of the garment, and readily releasable when the garment lapel is located in the desired position between the flat triangular shaped pressing members whereby to clamp the garment lapel under spring tension to cause a creasing and pressing operation to be performed thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

